Accreditation

The American Graduate University is pleased to be a leader in the fields of positive psychology, neuropsychology, and positive neuropsychology.

Degree and board certification programs are accredited by the Board of Standards of The American Positive Psychology Association (www.amppa.org). The American Positive Psychology Association is recognized by the U. S. Department of Education.

Degree and board certification programs are accredited by the American Board of Standards (www.amboard.org). The American Board of Standards is recognized by the U. S. Department of Education.

We are also a member of the prestigious University Consortium.

The American Graduate University follows the standards of the following accrediting bodies, which are also recognized by the U. S. Department of Education

1. Accreditation and authority to operate are widely misunderstood by members of the public. This confusion is exacerbated by functionaries of the traditional system who misrepresent the facts in order to retain their control, power and access to public money. Most of all, state government officials and people who oppose freedom of education are opposed to nontraditional alternatives to the existing system.

2. Accreditation in the United States is NOT a function of either the state or federal governments.

3. Authority to operate is a function of state governments, not the federal government.

4. The states vary widely in the extent to which they either do or don’t regulate private institutions of higher education.

5. Some states DO NOT REGULATE private institutions of higher education at all.

6. The federal government is constitutionally prohibited from regulating private higher education in the states.

7. The public can easily protect itself with relatively simple inquiries into the credentials of an educational institution and its graduates. The public does not need “big brother” to think for it.

8. We are accredited by the U .S. Commission for Higher Education Accreditation (USCHEA at fidla.org).

Some Details from Wikipedia

“Education accreditation is a type of quality assurance process under which services and operations of an educational institution or program are evaluated by an external body to determine if applicable standards are met. Should standards be met, accredited status is granted by the agency. In the United States…the quality assurance process is independent of government and performed by private membership associations.

When discussing accreditation in the United States, it is important that the concept of accreditation not be confused with authority to operate. The authority to operate an educational entity in the U.S. is granted by each of the states individually. The U.S. is a federal republic, and the federal government possesses only specific limited powers, with all others reserved to the states (pursuant to the Tenth Amendment to the United States Constitution.)

“Therefore, the authority of the U.S. Department of Education does not extend to authorizing schools to operate, to enroll students, or to award degrees. In addition, the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) is not responsible for accreditation of institutions, NOR is the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA), a non-governmental organization. Both recognize reputable accrediting agencies for institutions of higher education and provide guidelines as well as resources and relevant data.

In the United States, education accreditation has long been established as a peer review process coordinated by accreditation commissions and the members.

“…the U.S. Department of Education officially states, it does not accredit schools. Instead, accreditation commissions are formed, funded, andoperated by their members to create an academic community that is self-regulating.

“…The federal government makes no distinction between accreditation bodies, giving all equal standing. There is no similar federal government list of recognized accreditation agencies for primary and secondary schools. There is wide variation among the individual states in the requirements applied to non-public primary and secondary schools.”

From the Office of Postsecondary Education, US Department of Education:

“Accreditation in the United States.”

(Start quote) “The United States has NO federal ministry of education or other centralized authority exercising single national control over postsecondary education institutions in this country. The states assume varying degrees of control over education, but, in general, institutions of higher education are permitted to operate with considerable independence and autonomy. As a consequence, American education institutions can vary widely in the character and quality of their programs. Accreditation DOES NOT provide automatic acceptance by an institution of credit earned at another institution, NOR does it give assurance of acceptance by graduates by employers. Acceptance of students or graduates is always the prerogative of the receiving institutions or employer. For these reasons, besides ascertaining the accredited status of a school or program, students should take additional measures to determine, prior to enrollment, whether or not their educational goals will be met through attendance at aparticular institution.” (End quote)

“Since a college’s or universities academic prestige (unfortunately) depends primarily on its professor’s research and publications, students will not … get a better education at the more prestigious institutions with the higher paid faculty…”

“One of the biggest fallacies about academic institutions is that attendance at big-name colleges and universities is virtually essential for reaching the top later in life.”

“The four institutions with the highest percentage of their undergraduates going on to receive PhDs are all small colleges, with less than 2,000 undergraduates … Some have fewer than 1,000 students…”

“Of the chief executive officers of the 50 largest American corporations surveyed in 2006, only four had Ivy League degrees and just over half graduated from state colleges, city colleges, or a community college.”

“Some, including Michael Dell and Bill Gates did not graduate at all!”*

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Student Testimonials

"If you want to learn all about positive psychology, there is only one choice: AGU!"

Jennifer, University of Kansas Graduate from Overland Park, Kansas

"We live in a society with too much government interference in our lives. I was very glad to learn that one can become a positive psychology practitioner without the necessity of having to be licensed by my state. State licensing, that is occupational licensing, merely suppresses creativity and innovation while insuring mediocrity. Effectiveness as a therapist, psychologist, positive psychology practitioner, counselor or marriage and family therapist depends not on meeting occupational licensing requirements, but rather on the personality, integrity, and honesty of the practitioner. It is personality that determines effectiveness, not education alone. The great thing about this program is that one can earn a recognized educational credential, at an affordable investment, in a reasonable amount of time, without disrupting your life. This program will teach any student all they need to know about practicing positive psychology and how to establish and conduct a successful practice. Also, the published author program is the only one of its kind. The fact that AGU offers this high-quality program at such an affordable investment, while delivering such superior content is remarkable."

Cooper, Yale University Graduate from Florida

"As a licensed psychologist trained in human misery, I was ecstatic over learning about the other half, the most important half, of helping clients. That is, as a licensed psychologist I was trained only to help relieve human misery. I received no training in helping clients build lives full of meaning and purpose. It is in the recognition of one's strengths and virtues that we are able to help our clients flourish and thrive. Bravo to AGU for offering a program that has had such a profound impact on so many lives."

John, Columbia University Graduate, New York

"The best part of the AGU positive psychology program is the Published Author Program. Upon completion of my coursework and written papers, I had crafted a 300 page book about positive psychology which I now offer online from my own book website. Not only did I earn the PhD and become a Board Certified Diplomate of Positive Psychology, but I'm also now a published author. There is no other program in the world like the AGU program."

Renwick, University of PA Graduate from Pennsylvania

"I compared AGU with the Penn MAPP program. The Penn program is not online and cannot be done by distance learning. The Penn program also costs $50,000 or more when you total tuition, books, and travel expenses, not to mention the incovenience and time required. The AGU program delivers all of the content and more as compared to the MAPP program at a fraction of the cost."

Andrea, Harvard Graduate from Boston

"When searching for an online, distance learning positive psychology program, there is no better choice than AGU. This accredited and accelerated program is ideal for adult students who live in the real world and cannot possibly attend classes. I could not be more satisfied with AGU, my mentor, and the overall quality and outstanding service received."

John, Ontario

"I cannot tell you enough how fabulous this program has been for me and my practice. As a therapist and life coach, learning about the science of positive psychology has absolutely transformed my life, the life of my family, and the lives of my clients."